New Mexico MVD Permit Practice Test 50
- Questions25
- Correct to pass18
- Passing score72%
- Minimum age15 years
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1. Why must you never leave the engine running in a closed garage?
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Answer B: Because carbon monoxide builds up and can kill within minutes
Exhaust gas contains carbon monoxide, which has no smell or color and can reach fatal levels in an enclosed space very quickly.
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2. What is true about driving away from a crash you were involved in?
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Answer B: It is a serious offense, even if the other driver has driven away too
Leaving the scene is a criminal offense in every state, and the behavior of the other driver does not excuse it.
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3. You brake hard on a wet road and need to steer around a stalled car. How do antilock brakes help you do that?
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Answer B: They stop the wheels locking, so the tires can still turn the vehicle
Locked wheels slide and cannot change direction. By preventing lockup the system lets you brake at full force and steer at the same time.
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4. Your exit from a three-lane highway is about a mile ahead on the right, and you are in the left lane. What should you do?
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Answer B: Start moving right now, one lane at a time
Plan ahead and change lanes one at a time well before the exit, so you never have to cut across several lanes at the gore.
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5. When are the hazard warning lights properly used?
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Answer A: When your vehicle is stopped or barely moving and is a hazard
Hazard lights warn that your vehicle is an obstruction; they do not authorize illegal parking and they hide your turn signals while driving.
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6. A sign reads REDUCED SPEED LIMIT AHEAD. What does it tell you?
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Answer D: A lower limit begins further along the road
The sign gives advance notice so a driver can slow gradually, and the new figure takes effect at the speed limit sign that follows.
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7. Rain is heavy enough that you have your windshield wipers running. What else should you switch on?
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Answer A: Your headlights, so you can see and others can see you
Rain heavy enough to need wipers also cuts how far away you can be seen, so the headlights belong on. Many states write this into law as a wipers on, lights on rule.
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8. An exit ramp is separated from the highway by a triangle of pavement painted with white stripes. What may you do there?
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Answer C: Nothing; keep off it and choose either the lane or the ramp
The striped area between a ramp and the through lanes is not for driving, stopping or last-second changes of direction.
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9. A hot drink tips over onto your lap while you are driving. What should you do?
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Answer A: Keep hold of the wheel and stop when it is safe
The spill is painful but the crash risk comes from letting go of the wheel or braking suddenly, so keep control and deal with it once you are stopped.
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10. A delivery truck is parked in your lane and you must use the oncoming lane to get around it. Who has the right of way?
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Answer D: The oncoming traffic, because their lane is clear
The driver whose own lane is obstructed waits, because using the other lane is a favor from oncoming traffic, not a right.
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11. Roughly how far does a vehicle travel at 55 mph during the few seconds a driver spends reading a text message?
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Answer D: About the length of a football field
Sending or reading a message takes the eyes off the road for about five seconds, which at 55 mph covers roughly the length of a football field with nobody watching the road.
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12. You park in your own driveway and the rear of the vehicle sticks out over the sidewalk. What is wrong with that?
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Answer C: It blocks the sidewalk and forces people into the street
A vehicle overhanging the sidewalk pushes pedestrians, wheelchair users and strollers into the roadway, and blocking a sidewalk is prohibited.
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13. After completing a turn you notice your signal is still flashing. What should you do?
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Answer A: Switch it off at once, before other drivers act on it
A signal left on after a turn is a false message, and drivers waiting to pull out may move into your path because of it.
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14. Does a foreign visitor temporarily in New Mexico, even for up to a year or more, need to get a New Mexico driver's license?
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Answer C: No, as long as they remain a temporary visitor who will return home
New Mexico does not require a foreign visitor who is here temporarily, even for up to a year or more, to obtain a New Mexico driver's license.
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15. A yellow diamond showing the silhouette of a deer warns that
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Answer D: large animals may cross the road in that area
The sign marks a stretch where animals are known to cross, so drivers should reduce speed and scan both roadsides, especially around dawn and dusk.
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16. What must you be sure of before you pull out to pass on a two-lane road?
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Answer A: That the road ahead is clear far enough for the whole pass
You need enough clear road to pull out, pass and return before any oncoming vehicle arrives, and you must judge that distance before you start.
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17. An angry driver is following you closely and gesturing at you. What is the safe response?
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Answer B: Drive to a police station or to a busy public place and call for help
Never stop to confront an aggressive driver and never lead one home; go somewhere public and get the police involved.
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18. The circular sign shape is reserved for which warning?
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Answer C: Advance warning of a highway-rail grade crossing
A round yellow sign with a black X and the letters RR is the grade crossing advance warning sign, and the circular outline is used for no other message.
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19. Another driver has pulled out to pass you. What should you do?
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Answer A: Stay in your lane, keep your speed steady or ease off, and let the pass finish
Accelerating while being passed forces the other driver to stay in the opposing lane longer, so the safe response is to hold or slightly reduce speed and stay right.
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20. What extra requirement does New Mexico place on first-time licensees between 18 and 24 years old?
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Answer D: Completion of the None for the Road driving while intoxicated awareness class
Every first-time licensee aged 18 to 24 must present a certificate of completion for the None for the Road self-study class administered by the University of New Mexico.
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21. You stop at a rest area because you are sleepy. How long a nap is usually recommended?
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Answer D: About fifteen to twenty minutes
A short nap of fifteen to twenty minutes restores useful alertness without leaving the grogginess a longer sleep can bring, and you should wait a few minutes before driving on.
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22. What is a good habit when you open the door on the traffic side of a parked car?
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Answer C: Use the hand farther from the door, which turns you to look back
Reaching across with the far hand rotates your body and brings the mirror and the road behind into view before the door moves.
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23. What does the solid white line running along the right side of a highway mark?
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Answer A: The right edge of the traveled way
A solid white edge line shows where the traveled way ends on the right, which is particularly useful at night and in poor visibility.
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24. The signal ahead turns yellow while you are approaching it. What does the yellow light mean?
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Answer C: The red is coming; stop if you can do so safely
A steady yellow warns that the red is next. Stop if you can do so safely; enter the intersection only when stopping would be dangerous.
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25. Why should you avoid parking over tall dry grass or a pile of dead leaves?
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Answer B: Because the hot exhaust can set the dry material on fire
The exhaust system stays hot for a long time after a drive and can ignite dry vegetation underneath the vehicle.